<p>I was looking at some articles on optics and radio telescopes when I found this – [United</a> States National Radio Quiet Zone - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_National_Radio_Quiet_Zone]United”>United States National Radio Quiet Zone - Wikipedia) </p>
<p>This surprises me, as we have a college radio station usually in Charlottesville we can pick up radio signals just fine. I do notice the radio signals disappear within the Shenandoah National Park, Humpback Rock and all that, etc.</p>
<p>WNRN operates on seven different frequencies around the region and this could explain why. They’re on 91.9 in Charlottesville, but once you leave the area, you have to switch to pick up their signal out of Richmond, Waynesboro, Amherst, etc.</p>
<p>There are days when their Charlottesville signal gets overpowered by a random station in DC and they don’t have the ability to turn up their signal to counter it. They just submit a complaint to the FCC.</p>
<p>There is a place in West Virginia where there is a federal facility that requires absolute quiet. Many types of electronic devices cannot be used nearby. If a resident nearby has a noisy refrigerator, they will notice it on their instruments, and drive out and offer to buy them a new one.</p>
<p>Chris Neu (Physics professor) once told me that when he’s using lasers in the lab, he works in the wee hours because activity inside and around his building (elevators running, cars driving by) can affect his outcomes. </p>
<p>He’s probably one of the few people happy that the UTS buses aren’t on McCormick this semester. :)</p>
<p>[Chasing</a> RFI Waves – Part Six | RAOUL POP](<a href=“http://raoulpop.com/2012/04/08/chasing-rfi-waves-part-six/]Chasing”>Chasing RFI Waves – Part Six | Raoul Pop)</p>
<p>The last part of a six part series about the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in W Va and about the efforts to control electronic interference around it.</p>
<p>Not to mention NRAO headquarters are on campus! Also, Charlie, I like the link but, man, the font on that page is a bear to read …</p>